Foreign languages faculty

Dewey's Criticism and the Return to the Traditional Concept
In the early 1920s, Kilpatrick's conception of the project attracted attention. A growing number of teachers began to define the project more broadly and considered it to be a viable "general" method of teaching. However, this broad definition also faced strong resistance on several fronts-from "conservative" as well as "progressive" educators.
It is noteworthy that John Dewey, Kilpatrick's teacher and friend, also intervened in the discussion, criticizing his disciple's conception. Dewey's primary objection was the one-sided orientation on the child. In his view, pupils by themselves were incapable of planning projects and activities-they needed the aid of a teacher who would ensure the continuous process of learning and growth. To Dewey, the "project" was not (as it was to Kilpatrick) to be an "enterprise of the child," but rather a "common enterprise" of teacher and pupils. Dewey was also critical of Kilpatrick's definition of the project as a "purposeful" activity, observing that "A genuine purpose starts with an impulse but differs from an original impulse and desire through its transformation into a plan and method of action" (Dewey 1938, p. 43). It is only as the teacher convinced pupils to abandon spontaneous behavior and go through the "complete act of thinking"-from encountering a difficulty, via drafting a plan, to solving the problem-could they expand their experience and broaden their education. According to Dewey, all teaching methods were based on scientific thought and the method of educative experience. The project method, however, differed from the other procedures by requiring a kind of problem-solving which-like building a boat or making a kite-was designed to challenge and develop the constructive skills of the pupils. Contrary to Kilpatrick, Dewey emphasized the role of the teacher in providing guidance and direction to students.
"It is quite true that children tend to exaggerate their powers of execution and to select projects that are beyond them. But limitation of capacity is one of the things which has to be learned; like other things, it is learned through the experience of consequences. The danger that children undertaking too complex projects will simply muddle and mess, and produce not mere crude results (which is a minor matter) but acquire crude standards (which is an important matter) is great. But it is the fault of the teacher if the pupil does not perceive in due season the inadequacy of his performances, and thereby receive a stimulus to attempt exercises which will perfect his powers." (Dewey, 1916, p. 205)
It should be apparent that Dewey's idea of the project was not identical to Kilpatrick's. In fact, whenever Dewey discussed the project approach, he reverted (as did all leading American educators of the time) to the traditional concept and sharply rejected the definition that Kilpatrick propagated in his name. Unlike Kilpatrick, Dewey did not regard project work as the "only way out of educational confusion" (Dewey, 1931, p. 87). Rather, it was viewed as only one of many methods of teaching.
The criticism of Dewey and other educators had a dampening effect on the popularity of the project method. In the early 1930s, the term "project" was used less and less in its broad sense. Even Kilpatrick distanced himself from his own definition. In a letter to Abraham Flexner (dated January 25, 1950 and today housed in Special Collections at Mercer University), he admitted that he should not have connected his notion of the "hearty purposeful act" with the traditional project approach in 1918. "In the end [i.e., after 1927]," Kilpatrick wrote, "I decided I had made a mistake to marry my program to the term, and I stopped using the term as being provocative and ambiguous" (1950, p. 3). Indeed, Kilpatrick's self-critique makes the point and is self-explanatory. His project conception was ambiguous, since it disregarded the conventions of language and designated the subjective attitude of the student as an objective method of teaching. The project conception was provocative, since it neglected the traditions of the field and changed the project definition arbitrarily from responsible, constructive work to hearty, purposeful activity. In its original, narrow sense, the project has survived the years undamaged, and still exists today. Especially in science, agriculture, and technology education/industrial arts, American high school students have regularly completed projects that are judged by a jury and awarded prizes and certificates in a manner similar to the architectural competitions of the 17th and 18th centuries.